A thriller laced with caustic humor, LAKE PLACID springs from the imagination of writer-producer David E

A thriller laced with caustic humor, LAKE
PLACID springs from the imagination of writer-producer David E.
Kelley, whose prodigious work as the creator of "Ally McBeal,"
"The Practice," Ticket Fences" and "Chicago
Hope" have earned him numerous awards. Kelley's fondness
for offbeat characters, snappy dialogue and unexpected humor as
seen in his television work are also evident in LAKE PLACID. In
fact, his screenplay garnered him some new fans - the film's cast.

"When I first read the script," remembers Bridget Fonda.
"I thought it was such a strange and wonderful concoction.
David is like a fine chef; you don't always know what his Ingredients'
are, but you know it tastes really good. He creates these funny
and unusual characters whom you both hate and love at the same
time."

Agrees Bill Pullman, who finds an unexpected parallel to the LAKE
PLACID characters and another oftbeat cinematic quartet: "David's
writing is very clever. LAKE PLACID deals with a bizarre premise
- this crocodile that has no business being in Maine -and takes
it even further. Kelly, Jack, Hector and Hank remind me of The
Wizard of 0z, with this weird and wonderful mix of characters
embarking on a strange journey."

Bringing Kelley's story to life is director Steve Miner, who helped
create the Friday the 13 film series and recently directed
the hit Halloween: H20. Miner's eclectic filmography, which
also includes the romantic fantasy Forever Young and the
family film Wild Hearts Can't Be Broken, points to his
versatility.

"I've always liked the mix of genres," Miner relates,
"and David's screenplay brings several genres together. It's
an eclectic mix of offbeat characters, genuinely scary moments
and some really funny character comedy. It was an unbeatable combination
for me.

Much of this character comedy comes from the relationships that
develop when these four disparate people come together. As comfortable
in the wilderness as any uptown New Yorker with manicured nails
and a cell phone could be, Fonda, as Kelly Scott, relies on her
caustic wit for protection, especially from the romantically charged
vibes that soon develop between her and Jack.

"It's an oddly charged relationship," notes Fonda. "She
hates Jack but at the same time finds him oddly appealing - and
hates herself for that!" Says Bill Pullman: "Jack thinks
Kelly is a pain in the butt. But they develop this kind of strange
attraction for one another that surprises and angers them."

Mother unlikely - is Hector Cyr, an eccentric mythology professor,
and Hank Keough, an irascible local sheriff; the two characters
immediately butt heads, constantly exchanging barbs and nearly
coming to blows on several occasions. Steve Miner sees their relationship
as mirroring the Kelly-Jack dynamic. "It's really another
love story we see in the film," Miner explains. "Hector
and Keough have the same kind of bizarre mutual hate and attraction
that the other two have. I think it's really fun to watch them
all spar.

Oliver Plan portrays Hector, a renowned expert in crocodiles.
While the rest of the team is roughing in army grade tents, Hector
sets up a palatial suite, complete with a stereo system and a
full bar. He may know his stuff but he's an overbearing nuisance
to the man in charge, Jack Wells.

Plan was intrigued by the relationships between the four principal
characters. 'T